How to use the command 'wpm' (with examples)
The ‘wpm’ command is a tool designed for individuals looking to measure and enhance their typing speed in words per minute (WPM) through a command-line interface. Developed with inspiration from popular typing speed websites like Typeracer, ‘wpm’ provides a versatile way to assess typing performance with various customization options. Whether for personal improvement or competitive challenges with friends, ‘wpm’ offers different modes to tailor the experience.
Use case 1: Start wpm
Code:
wpm
Motivation:
Starting ‘wpm’ with the basic command is the simplest way to initiate a typing session, perfect for users who want to dive right in without additional settings. This use case suits users interested in a straightforward experience where they can immediately start typing and gauge their WPM without any complex configurations.
Explanation:
The command ‘wpm’ is executed without any additional flags or parameters, meaning it will run with default settings. This straightforward setup is ideal for users who are either new to the tool or simply want to get a quick measurement of their typing speed using the randomly presented texts.
Example output:
Type the following text:
"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Your WPM is 52.
Use case 2: Start wpm with short texts
Code:
wpm --short
Motivation:
For users looking to practice typing without committing to longer excerpts, using the --short flag is ideal. This option caters to those who may be short on time or prefer shorter bursts of typing practice to maintain focus and energy.
Explanation:
The --short argument specifies that the text presented for typing will be shorter. The flag alters the range of text lengths the ‘wpm’ tool draws from, thereby customizing the exercise to be a more concise experience.
Example output:
Type the following text:
"Hello world!"
Your WPM is 87.
Use case 3: Start wpm using a specific text file
Code:
wpm --load path/to/file.txt
Motivation:
This use case is geared toward users who want to practice typing with a particular piece of text. It allows typing practice specific to the user’s interest or needs, making it ideal for rehearsing speeches, passages, or any custom content user desires to improve on.
Explanation:
The --load argument instructs ‘wpm’ to load text from a user-specified file. By providing the path/to/file.txt, the user can dictate exactly what content they’ll be typing, offering them the opportunity to focus on relevant or specially curated material.
Example output:
Type the following text:
"Custom text from your file."
Your WPM is 65.
Use case 4: Tag your race scores
Code:
wpm --tag tag_name
Motivation:
For users who want to keep track of performance across different typing sessions, using tags is invaluable. These tags serve as identifiers, enabling comparisons and progress tracking over time and allowing the user to categorize performances based on specific criteria or contexts they define.
Explanation:
The --tag argument is followed by a tag_name, which acts as a label for the session’s score. This feature allows for the organization of WPM results, particularly useful for separating practice themes or conditions like “morning tests” or “with distractions.”
Example output:
Type the following text:
"Quick brown fox"
Your WPM is 78.
Tagged under 'morning practice'.
Use case 5: Show score statistics grouped by tags
Code:
wpm --stats
Motivation:
Users looking to analyze their typing performance will find the statistics feature extremely useful. It consolidates past scores and presents them categorized by the tags used, offering insights into trends and improvement areas over time.
Explanation:
The --stats argument requests a summary of typing scores, grouped by any tags that were previously applied during different sessions. It provides an overview of performance metrics, allowing users to observe progress or spot patterns in their typing speed.
Example output:
Statistics:
Morning practice - Average WPM: 70
Night practice - Average WPM: 73
Overall average WPM: 72
Use case 6: Start wpm with monochrome colors
Code:
wpm --monochrome
Motivation:
Users may prefer using the ‘wpm’ tool in environments where colored output might be distracting or unsupported, such as certain types of consoles or when outputting to a file. Monochrome output ensures higher readability and compatibility.
Explanation:
The --monochrome argument modifies the visual output by removing colors, ensuring that text is presented plainly. This setting is particularly useful if the terminal color scheme does not render well, or for those who wish for a minimalist display.
Example output:
Type the following text:
"In monochrome mode."
Your WPM is 67.
Conclusion:
The ‘wpm’ tool provides a robust and customizable framework for measuring typing speed with various features catering to different user needs. From simple executions to advanced configuration through loading custom texts and tagging, ‘wpm’ makes for an engaging, insightful experience whether you are casually testing your speed or earnestly trying to improve typing skills over time.
